Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Hello, Hello

Hey all!!! Once again I have like zero time to write! Ha I wish they'd give us missionaries more time to write! Just a reminder, if you want to write to me, please, please, please send me dear elders. I have no time to look at emails!

So I got my flight itinerary last week! I fly out on Wed June 22 at 10:30 am. I cannot believe I've already been out here for 3 weeks. Starting tomorrow I have visitors center training and my whole district leaves at 3 am to go to Tulsa, Oklahoma. I'm really going to miss those boys. They're like my brothers. It's amazing how close you come to everyone when you're all focused on one thing, the Gospel! How grateful I am for this Gospel and what a blessing it has been in my life!

I'm really excited to get out of here and get to work. I'm also really excited to be eating different food, don't get me wrong, I'm grateful for what I have but our district motto every time meal time comes around is, "Don't ask questions, just eat it." Ha ha. Yesterday we had in-field orientation, which just teaches us how to talk to people effectively as missionaries and prepares us for the field. I was able to learn a lot of techniques and get excited to teach. I won't lie, I'm a little nervous, but with the help of my Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ, I can do anything, so I'm super stoked, pumped, and ready to go! There will be lots for me to learn, and I can't wait.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE being here and I wouldn't trade it for the world. I already feel like a changed person because I have just learned and grown so much I astound myself. Ha ha. Even though it's tiring sometimes and it takes a lot of work to focus, I know that this work that I am doing is true and I cannot wait to share it with all those who come to Independence Missouri. I've realized that it doesn't matter where you go! The work is still the same.

I've also learned a lot about how important it is to have an eye of faith. Alma 14:9-11 talks about that. Read it! If you have faith in all things, the Lord will grant unto you your righteous desires. Never say you cannot do something. There will be people in your life who will tell you you cannot accomplish a certain something, but pray to your Heavenly Father, exercising REAL faith and He will allow you to do that whichever you desire to do. Don't you dare give up!

I had the opportunity to listen to a talk that Elder Holland gave at the MTC a couple years ago. Boy, he is certainly a powerful leader. I love what he had to say! He talked about how much he truly loved his mission and it was because of his hard work and dedication and obedience to the rules. One thing I've really learned is that obedience will be my successor throughout my entire mission. When you are living your life accordingly, the Lord allows you to have His Spirit to the fullest and to be a successful and powerful teacher. Elder Holland said, "You better not wish for your mission to be easy. Salvation is NOT a cheap experience."

He said you better hope that you have challenges and struggles so that you can have at least the tiniest bit of feeling of how the Savior felt when he suffered for us. He said very boldly and powerfully, "Don't you dare give up, don't you dare!" Gosh, when he said that I just wanted to be like, "OK, OK, whatever you want. I'll do whatever you want." Ha ha ha, it just really taught me how crucial is it to stick through the hard times, and to do it with a great attitude. That's another thing I've really learned this past week...enduring to the end, and doing it gladly.

On Sunday, I got randomly called up to speak about enduring to the end- luckily I had a talk prepared and I talked about how patience is enduring delay (PMG Ch.6 read it Bryan). Enduring delay... isn't that interesting. We must have patience in all things and endure whatever the Lord gives us and endure it well. How baby are we if we whine and complain. How great will be your joy if you endure happily and receive Heavenly Father's promised reward? It will be more than you can imagine. Another thing that has really hit me this past week is how stinkin' awesome the Book of Mormon is. Man, that book is the most true book in this world. I just know it without a doubt. Everything in that precious book can be applied to any situation today.

I was teaching a man who was wondering why people suffer, and he was talking about world war 2 and things like that. So I opened up to Alma 11:14 and it talked about how sad Alma and Amulek were that all these women and children were being burned but the spirit constrained them not to save them because the Lord had already received these poor innocent people into His glory. Then it said, basically, don't worry those wicked people who allow others to suffer will have their just reward at judgement day. How cool is that??! They will get their come up its.

Anyways, I gotta go because time is running out, but I love all of you so so so much. Thank you for everything you do for me. I love this Gospel, I love being a missionary and I wouldn't trade this experience for the world! The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is the true church of God!